Black Procession

The procession that took place Warsaw on 2 December 1789 was inspired by Hugo Kołłątaj, and led by Jan Dekert.

[1][2][3] 294 [4] representatives of 141 towns under royal charter (miasta królewskie),[3][4] clad in black,[2][4] passed peacefully (marching[4] or in carriages[5]) through the streets of Warsaw, from the town hall, reaching the Royal Castle (where members of the Great Sejm were meeting) and getting an audience with the king Stanisław August Poniatowski.

Their demands included the right to buy and own land estates, the right to be represented in the Polish parliament (Sejm) and reforms to the urban law.

[2][4][6] The procession influenced the Great Sejm to create a Commission for the Cities (Deputacja w sprawie miast).

[4] Eventually, the burghers' cause succeeded and the belated urban reform in the Commonwealth took place with the passage of the Free Royal Cities Act on 18 April 1791, which became a notable amendment to the Constitution of 3 May.